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'Jeopardy!' kid 'needs to suck it up'

While Thomas Hurley III may feel he was "cheated" by Jeopardy out of being credit for a correct answer during a show that aired last week, fans are now saying he should view the moment as a "life lesson."

A debate has erupted over Thomas Hurley III and his Final Jeopardy answer.

While Thomas Hurley III may feel he was "cheated" by Jeopardy! out of getting credit for a correct answer during a show that aired last week, fans are now saying he should view the moment as a "life lesson."

The Newtown, Conn., eighth grader correctly answered the Final Jeopardy question about the Emancipation Proclamation, but spelled the word "emanciptation." Alex Trebek deemed it incorrect because it was "misspelled, badly."

Had Skyler Hornback, a 12-year-old from Sonora, Ky., who had amassed $36,600 and bet $30,000 missed his answer, it's possible Hurley, who had $9,600 and bet $3,000 could have won.

While an outcry erupted in support of Hurley, there are plenty of comments now on the show's Facebook page voicing support for the decision.

Some of them:

• "Thank the heavens SOMEONE isn't just handing out trophies for participating. You go Jeopardy!!!!"

• "Really grow up people and the kid needs to suck it up and be man...that's how we learn to be men and not mama's boys!!!!"

• "The rules on Jeopardy are stated for all contestants. ANY error, whether spelling or otherwise is deemed "incorrect". Teaching a child to accept defeat is part of life and to say 'It was just a spelling error' is no excuse. An error is an error. Just because a contestant is a child is no reason to make exceptions."

• "Learn how to accept defeat kid or you will be disappointed for the rest of your life."

• "The kid got the answer wrong. Stop teaching our kids that everyone is a winner. You are setting them up for a rough life. In the real world everyone isn't a winner."

• "Maybe it will be good for that eighth grader, he will learn a lesson."

• "The kid was wrong and appears to be a Cry Baby. Parents need to teach their kids Life Lessons, not that everybody is a winner and that he was correct."

• "Don't try out for Jeopardy if you don't like the rules. No one forced this kid to tryout......or maybe his parents did? He got smoked anyway, congratulate the kid that won."